Loeries 2012: The winners

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 Loeries awards. In addition to the category awards, Robbie Brozin received the Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award and worldwide creative director of TBWA\Worldwide, John Hunt, received the Lifetime Achievement Award (video).

Robbie Brozin receives Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award

During the first evening of The 34th Annual Loeries Awards, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Robbie Brozin of Nando's was honoured with the Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award.

The Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award was introduced by The Loerie Awards in 2007. The accolade is awarded to an individual in recognition of their marketing achievements over an extended period of time. Each year, a shortlist is compiled - based on the success of brands over previous years at The Loerie Awards. This year the short list included the following brand leaders:

The success of the Nando's Brand is undoubtedly one that must be attributed to its founding member, Robbie Brozin. It is quite fitting that on the company's 25th year anniversary, Robbie and Nando's be awarded this prestigious award.

Armed with a BComm degree, Robbie first started out in his family's business, Teltron, a distributor of Sanyo electronic goods. Not long after that, Robbie together with a friend, Fernando Duarte, co-founded Nando's in 1987 with one restaurant in Rosettenville. Today they have a global footprint of almost 1000 restaurants around the world.

The Nando's brand started a healthier fast food trend in South Africa, explains Robbie, "Fast food, when we started, was seen as greasy. Our chicken was peri-peri and grilled - so it was healthier." From the beginning Robbie's vision for Nando's and business was "to have fun and to make money, while changing the way the world thinks about chicken." Robbie set the country alight 25 years ago with his brave brand of marketing. His early influence and marketing philosophy has stood the test of time and is now often referred to in South African marketing and advertising as "Nando's-like" advertising.

Nando's early days of advertising saw breakthrough creativity that got onto the lips of all South Africans. Often irreverent, always brave, never apologetic, Nando's advertising grew over the years to become synonymous with social commentary and is regarded as a creative almanac of sorts. There isn't a brand in the country that has achieved such incredible interest in the history of South African marketing. With political and social history reflected in the campaigns over the years, Nando's innovative formula has sparked off trend of creative banter between brands and agencies, which can be for the greater good of the society, as with the recent Santam ad poke.

"Robbie is the perfect example of someone who is using ideas and innovation to drive his brand. It is difficult enough to be awarded for a great achievement, but to do so consistently for 25 years is certainly something to be respected," says Andrew Human, CEO of The Loerie Awards.

Robbie may have stepped down from day-to-day of operations at the Nando's headquarters to focus on CSI projects such the anti-malaria project, but he will always be revered as the one person who propelled the so called "in-your-face" advertising campaigns that have now become part of the Nando's legacy.

On Sunday evening, at The 34th Annual Loerie Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to John Hunt, worldwide creative director, TBWA\ Worldwide, for his outstanding contribution to the South African and global advertising industry over the course of his career.

Born in Zambia, John Hunt is a local and international legend in advertising. He co-founded the agency TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris in 1983 together with Reg Lascaris. The agency operates on the mantra life's too short to be mediocre. And indeed it has not been a mediocre journey for the agency. Since its inception, they have won countless awards including Agency of the Century, Agency of the Decade and Ad Age's International Agency, twice.

In 2009, TBWA produced the 'Trillion Dollar Campaign' for The Zimbabwean Newspaper, which went on to become the most awarded campaign of all time - including a Cannes Grand Prix, Loerie Grand Prix, Grand Clio, D&AD Black Pencil, and the Art Directors Club (first ever) Black Cube.

Reg Lascaris, regional president TBWA Africa Middle East at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, and co-founder with John Hunt, says, "I've known John for a long, long time and not only is he a great colleague, but a good friend. John has a knack of making the complicated simple and the simple great. He takes the germ of an idea and makes it grow into something wonderful. His contribution to the South African advertising industry is immense as is his contribution to his creativity around the world. I've really enjoyed our journey together and I'm so pleased he has been acknowledged by the Loeries as one of South Africa's great creatives. In his own words...'onwards and upwards'".

John has been a great role model to many. One of the people who found him a true inspiration is John's one time protégé, Mike Schalit, chief creative officer of BBDO South Africa (who received the Loeries first Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008). "Under John Hunt's sage, witty and visionary gaze for eight years I went from being a failed rock muso, long-haired and wide-eyed, to being a successful creative director, more long-sighted than long haired but still wide-eyed", says Mike.

"I guess that was always his strength - bringing out the true potential in people and ideas, but reminding you to do it your way, to the beat of your own drum. Not exactly surprising that Hunt Lascaris went from a 15-strong creative shop in '85 when I first fell under his mentorship as a junior copywriter to a global icon by early '94, where I had progressed to being his Deputy. His drive, vision and success in creating a world class creative agency out of Africa only served to fuel my ambition, so he more than understood when I left (with his blessing) to start Net#work in the new South Africa."

Proof that brand communication can make the world a better place, John was intimately involved in Nelson Mandela's first ANC election campaign in 1993. He has also found time to write a number of television and theatre plays, as well as other literature. He was named South African Playwright of the Year for Vid Alex, a play that condemned censorship during the apartheid years. John's first book, The Art of the Idea, published in 2009, has already been translated into a number of languages.

John Hunt receives the Lifetime Achievement Award

Travelling Exhibition venues and dates

Dates to remember:

Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography 8 - 12 October 2012

Oliewenhuis Museum, Bloemfontein 29 October - 2 November 2012

Publications available:

Migrate magazine - issue 15, now available at Exclusive Books and CNA stores

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